


We Lost The Sea

by bainel



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, F/F, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sinbad AU, Slow Burn, Yearning and Longing, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:21:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22550917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bainel/pseuds/bainel
Summary: "Their eyes locked for a second across the room, and Lilith felt her breath catch in her throat. She felt as if the whole room had faded away. For a fraction of a second, they were the only two people in the inn. But then the bartender placed a glass of amber liquid next to the redheaded woman. She turned away, towards her drink, and the moment was over."Lilith gets dragged into a series of events that will lead her into one of her greatest adventures yet.
Relationships: Zelda Spellman/Mary Wardwell | Madam Satan | Lilith
Comments: 70
Kudos: 118
Collections: Madam Spellman 2020 Challenge





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the Sinbad AU!  
> I hope you're ready for some adventures. Let's begin. (My writing is a bit rusty so please be patient with me.)  
> Let me know what you think in the comments!

The place was crowded that night. It seemed as if the unlikely mixture of the clientele of The Old Hag was determined to cause as much trouble as possible. There was a loud crash of a wooden table landing on the stone floor when a fistfight started in the far corner of the tavern. Drunk old sailors were singing off-key some long-forgotten shanty. Hearty laughter erupted at the table next to them. 

They were sitting at a table near the wall, trying to ignore the racket around them. By the light of a candle, bending over a map, with pints of beer in their hands, planning their next voyage. They were in Syracuse for less than three days and yet she still wanted to get out of the city as soon as possible. 

“Maybe we should go on vacation?”

“Vacation,” repeated James with sarcasm in his voice.

“The boys been begging me to go to Fiji for a while now,” she shrugged.

“You know it’s monsoon season, right?”

“Excellent! We’ll have the whole beach to ourselves then.” She grinned at him, bringing the almost-empty mug to her lips, taking a big gulp. “Don’t you just hate crowds?”

Leaning back in her seat, her eyes drifted away from the yellowish map in front of her, to observe the people in the inn. The jumble of thugs, drunk soldiers with questionable morals, sailors, and countless others scumbags. She knew everyone in there as she was one of them herself. Lilith, the blackhearted thief.

The door of the tavern opened and closed, bringing in a gust of wind, making the candles and torches flicker. A hooded figure made its way through the crowd towards the counter. Something about the figure-she wasn’t entirely sure what-had caught Lilith’s attention. She watched over James’ shoulder as the scruffy bartender took one look at the person and started to prepare the order without as much as a question. A pale hand emerged from beneath the cloak and Lilith followed its course with her eyes as it grasped at the hood, bringing it down, and revealing shiny red hair tied into a bun at the back of the neck.

The woman turned away from the counter, her cold eyes scanning the inn with disinterest. Their eyes locked for a second across the room, and Lilith felt her breath catch in her throat. She felt as if the whole room had faded away. For a fraction of a second, they were the only two people in the inn. But then the bartender placed a glass of amber liquid next to the redheaded woman. She turned away, towards her drink, and the moment was over. She did not turn around again, focused on her glass.

Lilith was vaguely aware of the fact that James was still talking.

“-low on gunpowder and-”

But she couldn’t focus on his voice for more than a few seconds, for there, at the bar, a man walked up to the mysterious lady. He leaned on the counter; the woman turned ever so slightly and now Lilith could watch her profile.

She knew the man well; Hawthorn has been one of her crew members, once upon a time. She kicked him out, however, when she found out he’s been stealing from her ship. Thieves may not be the most honorable people, but there was one rule everyone was following, ‘never steal from your own’.

“-cannibals and sirens-”

She watched as the woman eyed Hawthorn up and down haughtily. There was something in her cold features, in the stiffness of the woman’s posture, in the way she was holding herself, that told Lilith this woman did not belong there. She watched as her lips moved with a response she could not hear through the thick wall of noises between them.

“Whatcha think?” James’ voice made its way to her ears, pulling her out of her thoughts. She looked at his square face, distractedly. 

“Wha-oh, yeah. Yeah, let’s do that.” Her eyes traveled back to the pair by the bar. The man was talking animatedly, leaning into the woman’s personal space. 

“What are you-,” said James, turning around over his shoulder to see what she’s been looking at. He took one look and turned back towards her, wiggling his eyebrows with a toothy grin on his face. “Pretty, eh?”

But she wasn’t listening anymore. At that moment the man grabbed the woman’s arm, bringing her closer to himself, and Lilith’s vision went red. She downed the rest of her forgotten beer, grabbed her cutlass and fixed it to her belt, and moved towards the bar with her empty mug in her hand, without as much as a glance at James.

“Lilith!” She could feel his eyes at the back of her neck, following her every step, but she paid it no mind. She weaved her way between the people crowding the inn until she was close enough to hear the woman’s raspy voice.

“-don’t think so, no.”

“Come on, don’t be shy, love.” Lilith’s blood boiled at the sound of Hawthorn’s leering voice. Not knowing what had possessed her to do so, she stepped closer, placing herself swiftly between the two, with her back to the redheaded lady. She put her empty mug down with a loud thud, leaving her arm on the counter, physically shielding the other woman from Hawthorn.

“The lady said no,” she said coldly. Her eyes were throwing daggers; she was half surprised the man wasn’t running for his life at the look of pure hatred on her face. Then again, his breath reeked of alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. She was impressed he was able to stand upwards.

“Lilith,” he hissed with venom in his tone. “Back in town, I see.”

“You can leave now.” She felt the woman behind her back shift but she did not look away for a second. He grimaced, baring his teeth menacingly.

“Not one of your pretty boys, am I? Don’t need to take your orders.”

It happened in a flash. One second they stood facing one another, the other Lilith had him pinned to the counter, with her cutlass pressed to his throat, forcing him to keep his chin up.

She was aware that the tavern got quiet when people noticed what was happening. Lilith wasn’t the one to start scuffles, after all. And certainly not with her former crew members. So why was she doing it this time, she wondered. She supposed she simply didn’t enjoy watching the woman getting harassed, that’s all.

With one swift move, her free hand slipped into his coat and emerged with a purse full of coins, traveling back to her own pocket. She was sure no one had noticed. ‘Never steal from your own’, but he wasn’t one of her boys, was he? He said so himself.

“I said, leave her alone,” she said in a low, dangerous voice that was easily heard in the whole room. Looking into the bloodshot eyes of Hawthorn she saw a shadow of fear. She eased the sword away from his throat and took a step back. He took a deep breath, his hand shooting up to his neck to rub it. The hatred was creeping back onto his face. He pushed away from the counter taking a threatening step towards her but she stood her ground, looking at him with her back straight and her head held high. He spat on the floor near her boots and sidestepped her to angrily leave the tavern, muttering curses under his breath.

Slowly the inn returned to its earlier noisy state as if nothing had happened. She sighed heavily putting her cutlass back into its scabbard and motioned to the bartender to refill her empty mug.

“I didn’t need your help.” Lilith turned her head at the sound of the raspy voice right next to her. The woman was looking at her with her jaw clenched, her lips pursed.

“Is that so?” Lilith lifted her eyebrow, unable to contain her smirk.

“I had everything under control.”

“Didn’t look like it.”

The bartender placed her freshly refilled mug in front of her. She brought the mug to her lips and took a gulp, aware that the woman was watching her every move. Putting down her beer she wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand, which made the woman scrunch her nose with distaste.

“I suppose I should thank you?” Lilith shrugged, which, she could tell, only irked the woman even further. She gave her a toothy grin and the woman huffed with annoyance. “Thank you for your unnecessary help.”

“Unnecessary?” She repeated with disbelief, raising her eyebrows. The grin disappeared from her face. “And what was your plan for fending him off?”

The woman picked up her drink and took a careful sip. Way to ignore the question, Lilith thought. She waited expectantly for the woman to say something but she was met with silence and a steely stare. If looks could kill, she chuckled under her breath to herself.

“That’s what I thought,” she said. Lilith took her time to look the woman up and down from up close. Once again she got the impression that the redhead did not belong there. Her dress was modest but too clean, her cloak was made from a piece of good expensive fabric. Her eyes traced the woman’s face. The slope of her cheek, the curve of her brow. The delicate lines of her lips. A face like that did not belong to such a shady place.

And once again, Lilith noticed the way the lady before her was carrying herself. As if she thought herself above everyone else in the tavern. And there was something about the way she was enunciating her words while speaking, which brought the thought of scholars to her mind. A governess, she thought. But what was a governess doing in The Old Hag?

“Who are you?” She frowned at the woman; watched her raise her fine brow. “You see, I know everyone here. Everyone, except you.” She watched as the woman pulled out a golden pocket watch out of her coat, not paying her any mind, and looked at it. The gold of the watch shimmered in the light of the torches and Lilith’s eyes were drawn to it like crow’s eyes to shiny things. “Who are you?” She repeated.

“I need to go,” said the woman, hiding her watch back into her pocket. She walked away without as much as a glance back at Lilith, abandoning her barely touched drink. She watched as the mysterious woman made her way between the people. The door to the tavern opened and closed again, and she was gone just like that.

She had no idea what has gotten into her. It felt as if her body was no longer her own. As if it was acting on its own accord. For she was moving forward, going after the woman. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw James, still observing her from their table with an amused look on his face. But she had no time to stop and explain herself. Even if she had, she wouldn’t know what to say, anyway.

Lilith walked out of the tavern, closing the door behind her. The silence of the deserted street was almost assaulting to her ears after spending so much time surrounded by the loud noises of The Old Hag. The summer night was dark and warm. No star in the sky, as far as Lilith could see. There was a familiar heaviness to the air. After years spent on the sea, she knew exactly what it meant.

There was a storm coming.

She looked around and saw the lone figure, making its way towards the heart of the city. She caught up with the woman easily, and came to a stop in front of her, startling her in the process. 

“What are you-”

“Let me walk you home,” she interrupted her. The woman looked at her as if she’s gone mad. Perhaps she has, only she didn’t realize it yet. 

“No,” she said with such power in her voice that left Lilith no doubt that it was an order. With no room for discussion. And yet… 

“These streets are dangerous for women to walk alone unarmed.”

Before the woman could speak a male voice echoed through the street.

“Auntie!” Lilith turned around to look at him. A young man, dressed in a red and white uniform of a royal soldier appeared at the end of the street, walking towards them. Lilith could see he was eying them suspiciously.

“I’m not alone,” said the woman sidestepping her and walking towards the young soldier.

“See you around, Mysterious Lady,” she called after her, but the woman did not look back. She walked up to the man and together they moved away from her.

She stood in the middle of a dark street watching them go. The summer wind swept her hair away from her shoulders. She was about to turn around and go back into the tavern when she noticed the woman turning over her shoulder. Their eyes met and for the second time that night, Lilith felt as if the whole world disappeared. A smirk crept onto her lips, but then she blinked and the woman has turned her back on her once again.

She hoped they’d meet again someday.

“Such a lovely face, isn’t she?”

She spun around startled, her cutlass already in her hand, her heart beating rapidly in her throat, making it harder to breathe. At the sight of the man standing before her, blood drained from her face. He stood there with hands behind his back, watching her attentively, unbothered by the fact she was aiming her sword at his chest.

The world around her started to spin.

“Lucifer,” she breathed out, her voice quivering. A devilish grin bloomed on his lips at the sound of his name.

“It’s time to pay your debt, my dearest Lilith.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer has come to get his end of the deal he made with Lilith years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: There's some sword stabbing, but no blood. Just letting you know, because it's better to be safe than sorry.

The world around her was spinning at a dangerous speed and she had no idea how to make it stop. She couldn’t breathe, overwhelmed with the images of a long-forgotten life that were flooding her head, as if the mere sight of the man’s face had crushed the walls that were keeping the memories at bay. How long has it's been since the last time she saw him? It felt like a whole lifetime ago. It seemed that her past, the one she's been so dead set on forgetting about, came back to haunt her.

“I hope you missed me.” The sarcastic tone of his voice and the devilish grin on his face made her insides flip unpleasantly in her stomach. She wanted to throw up, yet she stood her ground, with her sword slightly shaking in her outstretched hands.

The whole scene looked awfully familiar. The deserted street on a dark summer night. The wind picking up and sweeping her hair, making its way under her clothes. The heavy air around them. The low distant rumble of an oncoming storm. The man in front of her, watching intently her every move, calculating her… It seemed as if she’s been transported back in time. To a different life.

“What do you want?” The lump in her throat that appeared along with Lucifer made her voice come out weaker than she intended. She tried to clear her throat discreetly but judging by the amusement on the man's face she was not successful.

“Play nice, darling,” he chuckled humorlessly, “You see, I have a job for you.”

“I don’t want it,” she said at once, gripping her cutlass tighter with her sweaty palms.

She watched with growing uneasiness as he took step after step towards her. Willing herself to stand her ground she watched as he made his way closer and closer to the sharp blade of her sword, never taking his eyes off of her. In spite of herself, she let out a gasp when instead of stopping or moving her sword to the side, he simply kept on walking. Right into the blade. It went through his white shirt, slid into his chest with ease, like a knife into the butter. And yet there was not one drop of blood; his shirt remained spotless. She watched with wide-opened eyes as the sword went deeper and deeper into his flesh, leaving behind seemingly no damage at all.

He stopped right in front of her, the sword up to the hilt in his chest, towering over her. He looked down at her and she couldn’t remember the last time she’s felt this small and this vulnerable. 

“It’s not a question of if you want it or not, now, is it? It’s an order.”

“I don’t take orders.” And yet she knew she couldn’t refuse. The words that were spoken years ago, the conditions of the deal they made, were echoing inside her head, making her nauseous. As if hearing her thoughts, Lucifer smirked. 

“Oh, Lilith. Have you forgotten our little deal? I do something nice for you, and then in return, you do something nice for me.” He gripped her chin with his hand forcing her to look into his eyes, and moved his face closer to her, brushing his nose against hers, lowering his voice to a dangerous whisper. “It’s only fair, isn’t it?”

“What do you want?” she repeated, her voice barely a whisper, almost lost in the loud thunder rolling above their heads.

Lucifer chuckled, let go of her chin, and pushing her away harshly in the same move. She let go of the cutlass and took a few steps back to not lose balance and fall over. She watched with wide-opened eyes as he took the hilt of the cutlass in his hand and pulled it out of his chest. She stared at the place where the wound should be but there was nothing. Nothing to indicate that the sword had ever pierced his skin. The only proof was the tear in his white shirt.

She knew there was nothing human about the man - she knew from the time she had first met him - but to have the proof right before her eyes, was a completely different thing. She was hit in the face with the reminder that it was Lucifer, the doombringer, the god of chaos, standing before her. 

He watched the clean blade of the sword with interest, and Lilith realized how vulnerable she truly was at that moment, with her only weapon in the hands of her enemy. She cursed herself for not having more weapons with her. A simple knife tucked into her belt would’ve made her feel safer.

“You’re a thief, aren’t you?” Lucifer’s voice made its way to her mind.

“You want me to steal for you,” she said incredulously. She glanced at the sword in his hand again, making sure she was out of the blade’s reach. His eyes snapped up to her the moment she moved. 

“Why, yes.” The man chuckled, appearing right in front of her in a blink of an eye, without as much as taking a step, with the tip of the sword pressed against the underside of her chin, forcing her to keep her head up. She felt the cold blade touch her skin lightly and she didn’t dare to breathe in fear of hurting herself. She held her breath looking into Lucifer’s emotionless eyes, trying to guess if it was the moment she was going to die, after all.

They stood there, unmoving, in the middle of a dark deserted street, staring into each other’s eyes, the wind sweeping their clothes and hair around. The sounds of the oncoming storm rolling through the heavy air. Lilith felt the first drop of rain hit her forehead and slide down her temple.

And when she thought she was either going to suffocate from the lack of the oxygen or he was finally going to slit her throat, he moved the sword to the side and the next moment it disappeared into the thin air as if it was never even there. Lilith gulped the precious oxygen into her lungs, trying to stop the trembling of her own body. She stumbled backward keeping a distance from the man. She bent down and put her hands on her knees to keep herself grounded, focusing on controlling her breathing. She cursed herself silently. She should have run away the minute she saw him. 

“I want you to bring me Sabrina Spellman.” Lucifer’s words made her galloping mind come to an abrupt halt.

“Sabrina Spellman?” she echoed his words looking back up at him. “The princess of Syracuse?”

“Precisely.”

She straightened her back. The rain started to fall upon them more heavily. She could feel her hair and her clothes start to stick to her body.

Why would Lucifer need the heir to the throne of Syracuse? One thing for sure, whatever he needed her for, it couldn’t be anything good.

Lilith knew very little about the royal family, even though they were public personas. She did know however that the young princess was still too young to take the throne.

When King Edward and his wife had tragically died, Sabrina Spellman, their only daughter, should be the one to take the throne by the right of birth. But the princess was only a few months old at the time, so the council has had quite the problem. Luckily, King Edward wasn’t the only one bearing the name of a Spellman. So the council had - reluctantly - put Zelda Spellman, Edward’s older sister, in the role of the regent.

She had never met or seen any member of the royal family. A commoner like her, and later in life a thief and a pirate, had no business in troubling themself with royals.

Nevertheless, Lilith was not too keen on hurting an innocent little girl. Royal or not. As long as they kept Syracuse’s harbors open, Lilith had no problem with them.

“I’m not going to kidnap anyone. That’s not what I do.”

“Oh, but you will,” Lucifer’s tone left no room for discussion. “Because deep down you know you must.”

Lilith knew he was right and she hated him for that. She gritted her teeth. Years ago, in the most desperate time of her life, she stumbled upon Lucifer in a street not much different than the one they were standing in right now. He offered her a helping hand in return for a favor. Help for help. He said he would come back when he needed her, and then disappeared into the thin air.

Any deal with Lucifer was binding, she knew that. He kept his end of the promise and she knew deep down she couldn’t refuse anything he asked of her now. And judging by the awful grin spread on his face, he knew she knew. She let out a defeated sigh.

"What will you do to her?"

"That's none of your business. When you get her, the morning star beyond the horizon will bring you to Tartarus, to me. You do know how to sail, don't you?"

He was mocking her, she knew. He was the reason she was a pirate now and he was very well aware of that fact.

She angrily blinked away the raindrops that made their way to her eyes, flipping her wet hair away from her face. The storm was raging around them now, the streams of water trickling down the streets, the thunder and lightning rolling right above their heads.

She turned her palms into fists, feeling helpless without her cutlass in her hand. Lucifer smirked at her and turned his back to her as if to walk away.

"And if I fail?” she called after him making him stop in his tracks. “The princess will be difficult to get to."

"If you fail, I will be very… very angry," he turned slowly over his shoulder, his eyes cold. She swallowed hard, his warning clear in her head. "You wouldn't want that, would you, Lilith? Bring me Sabrina Spellman."

Without another word he disappeared, leaving no proof that he ever was there, leaving Lilith alone in the pouring rain. She blinked rapidly, forcing her mind to stop racing.

She felt as if she was sleepwalking. Only half aware of the fact that she was moving back towards the tavern. She pushed the door to The Old Hag open and her ears were immediately assaulted by the deafening cacophony but she didn’t even register it all. She heard every sound muffled as if she was under the water. She moved around the place, not paying attention to where she was going until she found herself seated back at the table before James. 

"Almost thought you forgot about me because of that pretty face back there."

“What?” She blinked a couple of times trying to regain her focus.

“Your redheaded lady?” He raised his eyebrow with a teasing smirk on his lips.  _ Oh _ , Lilith’s mind went back to the reason why she went out of the tavern in the first place. The mysterious redhead that for some reason had caught her attention. James sent her a cheeky grin. “So, what’s her name?”

“I don’t know,” she said, causing James to frown. “We didn’t talk much. A young boy came for her and they went on their merry way.”

“Then why were you gone for so long?”

So she told him all about her encounter with Lucifer. What he wanted her to do, and why she had no other choice but to complete the task. James listened carefully, the crease between his eyebrows deepening with every word she said. When she stopped talking he looked at her for a second with a weird look on his face before handing her his own mug of beer. She took a large gulp of the alcohol, grateful for the grounding bitter taste in her mouth.

“How will we do it?” Lilith looked at him with surprise.

“We?”

“Your crew will help you.”

She smiled gratefully. But the question remained: how on earth was she going to get into the royal castle, steal the princess, and get away in one piece?

Her eyes wandered around the crowded tavern while she wreaked her mind to try and find a solution to her problem. Her eyes landed on a group of drunk soldiers. She furrowed her eyebrows. Slowly, very slowly, the wheels in her brain started to move. She looked back at James, a shadow of a plan forming in her mind.


	3. Chapter Three

After the unfortunate meeting with Lucifer, Lilith had to accept her faith and come up with a plan to kidnap the most important member of the royal family, as insane as it sounded. She knew she couldn’t just barge into the castle, grab the princess, and simply exit through the front door, killing anyone that would be foolish enough to try and stop her. Although, that might have been a much simpler and quicker way to get the job done… But no, she preferred to work quietly from the shadows; she didn’t need a hoard of soldiers chasing after her. 

She knew it would be a much more complicated operation than her usual ambushes and robberies, so she spent countless days with James, going over every last detail that needed to be taken care of. It seemed that every time they solved one problem, two others arose. The primary issue was: they didn’t know the layout of the castle. They couldn’t wander around the place like children in the dark; they, somehow, had to get inside, to know what they were dealing with. Luckily, it seemed that the universe was on their side. A little birdie in the shape of one of the drunk soldiers had let it slip that there was an official event taking place in the castle in a two weeks time. The aristocracy, the council, and every other ‘important’ person from the area of the Twelve Cities was supposed to be there. And sure enough, in the next days, the harbor was flooding with more and more fancy-looking newcomers. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for them to slip between the guests and snoop around the castle without being noticed by the royal guards, but the catch was - there was a list of guests invited to the event. Lilith and James looked at each other, both at their wit’s end, ready to call it quits.

And just then, yet another opportunity came. Or, rather, bumped into Lilith one day in the streets. An aristocratic man with kind eyes and a soft smile.

Of all the men she could have picked for her plan, of course, she had to pick one named Adam. It was just her luck. Granted, Adam Masters, one of the more insignificant members of the aristocracy from one of the godsforsaken islands, seemed like a much better, more decent person than the Adam she had known once upon a different life, but the disgust she felt every time she flashed a blinding smile or batted her eyelashes was threatening to come up her throat nevertheless. It was necessary, she knew, for her plan to infiltrate the castle to succeed, to seduce him, but it didn’t make the whole ordeal any easier, and by the time they were walking around the impressive-looking ballroom in the royal castle, weaving their way around the room between the pompous members of the aristocracy, with Lilith clinging to Adam’s arm, sweating under too many layers of clothing, she was already exhausted.

In the back of her mind, she was vaguely aware of Adam’s voice, exchanging pleasantries with some of the people they were passing by, and she remembered to flash a polite smile at whoever it was; their faces escaping her, not important to her at all. Lilith let her eyes wander around the place, too absorbed in counting the guards in her line of sight and in her own thoughts, to pay attention to where Adam was leading her. So far she’d seen more of the red and white uniforms than she had first expected.  _ Well, fuck _ , she thought to herself, this kidnapping business would be harder than she’d thought.

“Your majesty.”

At the sound of Adam’s voice, Lilith's eyes snapped to the person standing in front of them, another fake smile already in place, but when her eyes landed on the woman, she had to remind herself to keep her face straight, otherwise, her jaw would’ve surely landed on the floor. For there she was; the woman she had met that fateful night at the Old Hag, the beautiful redhead whom she’d thought to be a governess, now standing in front of her in a stunning navy-blue gown, with her shiny hair braided around her head like a crown and decorated with a sparkling silver tiara.

“Sir Masters.” The familiar raspy voice of the mysterious stranger was coming to her ears as if from a great distance. She watched as the woman exchanged respectful bows with Adam, her pink lips bent in a small polite smile. “I’m pleased to see you again. It’s been too long.” Her eyes moved towards Lilith who felt oxygen escaping from her lungs. Once again she’s felt as if the whole world around them disappeared and they were the only two people left, just like the last time. Has she recognized her? Was her cover blown? A thousand thoughts and a hundred different scenarios raced through her mind. But the woman looked at her as if she was watching a mildly interesting play, no spark of recognition present in her eyes. “And who is your lovely companion?”

“Mary Wardwell,” croaked Lilith with her throat dry, unable to break their eye contact, enchanted with the cold eyes of the mysterious woman. Well, maybe not so mysterious anymore, for now, she knew exactly who was standing in front of her. Zelda Spellman, queen regent. The realization has come down onto her with the subtlety of pouring rain. Now she knew why the woman gave off the impression of not belonging at the Old Hag; it was because she belonged inside a castle stuffed up to the brim with gold, dressed in expensive gowns with a crown on her head. Not amongst the shabby-looking clientele of a shady tavern. 

A slight shifting beside her pulled Lilith’s attention away from Zelda, breaking the moment. She looked to her side and found an uncomfortable-looking Adam. Lilith realized she was holding on to his arm for dear life, most likely bruising it. She lessened her grip, sending him a small apologetic smile, and turned once more towards the other woman.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Wardwell.”

“Likewise.”

Hearing her fake name coming out of the redhead’s mouth left a bitter taste on Lilith’s tongue but it was yet another necessity for her plan to succeed. She had to create a fake identity for one simple reason: Lilith Demons was a well-known pirate, a captain of a ship that had one of the worst reputations across all of the Twelve Cities. And so, Mary Wardwell was born. Or rather, her identity has been stolen the moment Lilith had heard the name one day while strolling along the streets of Syracuse. Who knew who the real Mary Wardwell was; certainly not Lilith. Nor did she particularly care for that matter.

She had a feeling Zelda wanted to say something more and her heart sped up, thinking she was about to get exposed in the midst of fully armed soldiers mixed with self-important members of the aristocracy, but before she’s got the chance to even open her mouth, a tall man dressed in a black suit walked up to them out of nowhere.

“Your highness, I’d like you to meet someone.” Lilith’s eyes followed his hand that has landed on the small of Zelda’s back to get her attention. The man leaned that little bit closer to Zelda than necessary, smirking unpleasantly. She watched as the whole haughty demeanor of the other woman has changed in a fraction of a second, as if by the slightest touch of a magic wand. She watched as the woman flashed him a warm smile that was on the verge of seductive, Zelda’s eyes lingering on his for a second too long.

“Of course, Lord Blackwood,” a barely noticeable purr wrapped itself around the woman’s voice and confusion flooded Lilith’s mind at the scene taking place in front of her. Zelda turned her attention towards Adam and her once again, “Forgive me. And please, enjoy yourselves.”

She watched Zelda and the man, Lord Blackwood, or whatever his name was, walk away to who-knows-where, leaving Adam and Lilith alone. She followed them with her gaze, noticing the way Zelda was leaning against his offered arm. She chanced a look at Adam who sent her a knowing smile.

“Would you like to dance?” She nodded, still in a daze after the unexpected meeting. “So you’ve met our queen regent now,” he said with a twinkle in his kind eyes. “What do you think?”

“She seems…” a long list of adjectives appeared in her mind, “tense.”

Adam chuckled, placed his hand on top of hers that was still holding onto his arm, and patted it sympathetically. He led her around the room once more between the colorfully dressed guests, towards the dancefloor. Only now has she noticed the sound of music coming from the other side of the room. An orchestra of some sort.

“I suppose anyone would be a bit tense in her shoes,” he said as he took her in his arms and started to gracefully lead her into the first steps of a dance.

Lilith looked above Adam’s shoulder at the people around them. Her eyes had easily found the navy-blue gown and red hair, but she tried to not pay too much attention to the woman. Not now. Her mind has cleared enough for her to remember why was she there in the first place. She wracked her brain to find a way to slip out of the ballroom to explore the rest of the castle. Her eyes went from one soldier to the other around the room, counting heads once again, until her gaze landed on a particular young man. At first, she wasn’t sure why her eyes had stopped at him, but then it all clicked together. It was the same soldier with whom Zelda had walked away the night they met for the first time. He was laughing alongside a teenage-looking girl. A golden crown upon her blonde head gave away her identity. It couldn’t be anyone else but Sabrina Spellman. The princess of Syracuse. Her target. Lilith watched as the young princess exchanged a few more animated sentences with the soldier.

“Who is that soldier the princess is talking to? I think I’ve seen him somewhere before.” Adam turned them around to look over her shoulder.

“Ah, that’s Ambrose Spellman, the princess’ cousin.”

“A prince?” Lilith frowned. She may not be the most familiar with the members of the royal family but she’s never heard of any prince.

“Oh, no. No, he’s been stripped down from his titles some time ago. He’s in the royal guard now, as a punishment.”

“Punishment? What for?”

“No-one knows for sure. It’s all very hush-hush, the royal family is extremely private. Rumor has it, he's been caught doing something illegal. Most people bet on piracy but I don’t think so.”

Typical, Lilith thought, most people who had never stepped a foot in the outer circles of the city, simply speaking, people who had never known any harm in their life could not fathom there were worse things in this world than being a pirate. She almost pitied them.

“What do you think then?”

“I’d say it must have been something much more serious for Zelda Spellman to strip her own nephew of his every single title,” said Adam sending her a sad smile. “But then, of course, the council had a lot to say in the matter as well, I suppose.” Looking discreetly around them to make sure no one was listening, Adam leaned in a bit closer to her, lowering his voice. “Lord Blackwood seems very keen on getting rid of everyone who might have any claim for the throne.”

Lilith’s eyes immediately found the man in a black suit. He was still standing right next to Zelda, next to the massive glass door leading to a garden, talking to her in a hushed voice. The melody has changed and Adam took her hand to walk her towards a more secluded corner, where no one could eavesdrop on them. From their new place, they had a good view of the rest of the room. Lilith could still observe Zelda and Blackwood, and she still could see the young princess and her cousin, now joined by another boy and three girls, all around the same age.

A servant with a tray full of glasses of red wine walked past them and Adam reached out for two of them. He handed one to Lilith with a wink and she had to remind herself he was crucial to the success of her plan. Without him, she would’ve never got into the castle in the first place. So instead of killing him with a dagger she had strapped to her thigh under that ridiculously impractical dress, she took a sip of the wine, letting its sweet taste spread in her mouth.

“What do you mean he’s keen on getting rid of people who have a claim to the throne?”

“Well, the Blackwood family has always been the second in line to the throne. When King Edward and his wife had died, and princess Sabrina was only a few months old, Faustus Blackwood was considered the first in line to take the crown.”

Something was not right. Again, Lilith did not consider herself the most familiar with the royal family, and the laws and etiquette of the nobility, but even she knew certain things. And what she knew did not fit with what Adam was telling her.

“But isn't Zelda king Edward's sister? Shouldn't she be the first in line?” Adam chuckled humorlessly at that.

“She should be, yes. With princess Hilda abdicating, Ambrose being disinherited, and princess Sabrina still too young to take the throne, Zelda should be the only choice left. But she wasn't. The council believes that men have a greater claim to power and that's why their first choice was Lord Blackwood. That's also why Edward was the king. You see, Zelda is the oldest of the three, she should be the queen with Edward second in line, but she wasn't. Edward surpassed her.”

“How did she become queen regent then?”

“I don't know. But it's obvious that Lord Blackwood was not happy with the council's decision.” His eyes wandered around the room, finding the man in question. He looked Blackwood up and down for a while before he returned his eyes to Lilith. There was an uncomfortable look on his face when he added, “Most think Blackwood is trying to marry his way to the throne. There are rumors going around the kingdom about them supposedly having some kind of affair.”

Yes, she could see that. The way Zelda’s whole demeanor has changed the moment Blackwood came near. The way he put his hand at the small of her back. The way he looked at her. The way they were, even now, standing off to the side, engrossed in a conversation, seemingly unaware of their surroundings. Lilith watched them and tried not to vomit. It was clear to her that Blackwood might be seducing Zelda on purpose. A man using a woman to get what he wanted. It sounded so familiar. So wrong.

Lilith wasn’t aware she was staring until the woman turned her head and met her eyes across the room. She took another sip of her wine. Zelda’s gaze followed her hand that was holding the glass, seemingly deep in thought, before focusing on her face. Lilith couldn’t help but smirk. And before she could even blink the woman turned around back to Blackwood.

What was she doing, she thought to herself. Not Zelda, no. What was Lilith doing? Standing there, gossiping about the unimportant twisted schemes of the nobility, completely forgetting the true reason for being there. She needed to see the castle from the inside, yet so far she has seen next to nothing. She needed to pull herself together. She needed to get rid of Adam and slip into the corridors. Find her way around the castle while not being noticed by the guards and servants. Maybe even find the private chambers of the princess and figure out the quickest way in and out of there.

“I don’t feel so good,” she said, trying her best to look ill, “I think I need some fresh air.”

“Of course.” If she wasn’t using him and trying to get rid of him, Lilith might have been touched by his immediate instinct to lead her towards the glass door to the garden. But given the circumstances, she was nothing but irritated, her voice turning sharper than necessary with her next words.

“It’s alright, I can manage on my own, Adam.”

“Are you sure you’ll be fine? You look rather pale.”

“I’m sure,” she said, forcing her barely touched glass of wine into his free hand, already turning around, not in the direction of the door leading to the garden, but in the direction of the wooden door leading to a corridor, ignoring his worried expression, “I just need some fresh air.”

Weaving her way around the guests she was getting closer and closer to the massive door of the ballroom. She needed to get out, to see as many details as she could and then get out of there as quickly as possible without any guard-

She came to a halt a few steps away from the door, when a human body blocked her way out of nowhere. She was standing face to face with Zelda Spellman, who's polite smile didn't quite reach her eyes. How she got rid of Lord Blackwood and moved across the room quicker than her, Lilith had no idea.

“Your majesty,” she bowed her head with her heart thumping loudly in her ears.

“Is something wrong, miss Wardwell?” Lilith's heart sank at the sound of redhead's sarcastic tone of voice, her stone-cold persona in place, again. Could it be that Zelda Spellman remembered her after all?

“I just need some fresh air,” she smiled apologetically, trying to keep up her act. She tried to sidestep the woman in front of her but was stopped by a soft hand being put on her arm.

“This way. Let me accompany you.”

“I-”

“I insist.” Zelda's eyes were challenging her to disagree with her. She had no other choice but to follow without making a scene and drawing unwanted attention to herself, so she let the woman loop her arm around hers and lead her to who-knows-where.

They walked through the ballroom’s opened door, into a cold corridor, and Zelda steered her to the right; not towards the great gate through which Lilith had entered with Adam, but rather further into the castle. There were a few stray guests here and there, talking and gossiping with each other, away from the noise of the ballroom. Lilith noticed they all bowed their heads before Zelda, but the next second they were shooting curious looks towards Lilith and turning to each other to exchange not so subtle whispers. She chanced a glance out of the corner of her eye at Zelda to see her reaction, but the woman seemed to not pay them any attention, though Lilith noticed the clenched jaw and a chin held a bit higher.

Walking along the corridors they passed red and white suits of royal guards here and there. Not as many as Lilith would have thought but she supposed most of them were in the ballroom, keeping an eye on the most important guests.

They turned around the corner into another long corridor and came across a group of young people laughing together. Hearing their approaching footsteps they all looked their way, smiles disappearing from their faces upon realizing who was walking towards them. 

“Auntie?” One of the girls stepped out of the small circle and Lilith recognized the young princess Sabrina. The golden crown still shining on her head. Behind her stood the same group she had spotted back in the ballroom. The girl looked concerned; her eyes going back and forth between Zelda’s face and Lilith’s and their linked arms. “Is everything alright?”

“Of course, Sabrina,” said Zelda. “I just need a private word with miss Wardwell here. Go back to the guests, I’ll be there shortly.”

The princess did not look convinced by her aunt’s words but held her tongue. When they were passing Sabrina’s group of friends, Lilith noticed Ambrose Spellman standing among them, eying her suspiciously. The young man caught her looking at him and grinned wickedly, winking at her. She frowned. What was going on? Before she could’ve asked the question out loud, however, Lilith felt Zelda’s hand gripping her arm a bit tighter, tugging and forcing her to keep on walking.

The further into the castle they went the fewer guests they met. Soon it was only soldiers standing here and there, bowing whenever Zelda came near and their footsteps bouncing off of the walls. Lilith paid close attention to where they were going and she tried to memorize the corridors. This was exactly what she wanted, what she came here for. To see as much of the castle as possible. And Zelda, unknowingly, gave it to her. But after climbing three sets of stairs and walking countless passageways Lilith started to worry. Where was Zelda taking her? What if it was a trap. What if she’d remembered her and was leading her towards… Towards what? 

“Where are we-”

“Not yet,” the woman cut her off.

They walked into yet another corridor, this time a bit different. This one had an oak door at the end of it. But there were no guards on each side of it like there were next to every other door they had passed on their way there. Lilith’s heart started to beat faster the closer they got to the door. Was it a trap? The dagger she had strapped to her thigh was burning her skin, she was itching to take it out, just to hold it in her hand, just to make sure she had some kind of control over the situation.

Zelda opened the door and Lilith walked in expecting everything but… She wasn’t expecting to find herself in what looked like one of the rooms of private chambers. It was a large room with a high ceiling and an open door leading to a large balcony. A warm breeze entered through the balcony door, gently moving the curtains in the process. There was another door to the left, but it was closed. A large bookcase in the corner with a comfy-looking chair beside it. A matching couch and a small table in the center of the room. Carpeted floor. It looked… Cozy. But why did Zelda take her to her room? She looked at the woman who was watching her, still standing next to the door.

“There’s a smaller chance of someone eavesdropping on us here,” said Zelda, as if reading her mind. She stepped further into the room and sat down gracefully on the couch, motioning to Lilith to take a seat as well. She moved carefully to sit on the opposite end of the couch. Zelda took a small wooden box from the table and took out of it a neatly rolled cigarette and a match. She lighted it and took a long drag, never looking away from Lilith’s face. “And now, tell me, what exactly are you doing here?  _ Lilith _ , wasn’t it?”

“Mary,” she lied halfheartedly. Her throat went dry, her blood ran cold. Suddenly there was too little oxygen to go around.

“That despicable man at the tavern called you Lilith. I remember you.”

Yes, that much was clear, she thought. Her mind was racing to find a different approach now that her cover was blown. The woman sitting in front of her was confident, self-assured. Lilith knew there was no better way than to fight fire with fire and so she leaned back on the couch and relaxed her shoulders. She put a smirk on her lips. Noticing the sudden change, Zelda narrowed her eyes, watching Lilith through the smoke of her cigarette.

“Is this a compliment, your majesty?” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. “Say, how often do members of the royal family visit places as shady as the Old Hag?”

“What are you doing here?” 

“I’m accompanying Adam Masters. It’s not illegal, is it?”

“Depends on what your true motives for being here are.”

“Can't a woman get invited by a man to a party?”

“Under a fake name?”

“Who says it's fake?” Zelda raised her eyebrow, looking unimpressed. Lilith shrugged. “Okay, so maybe it's fake, so what?”

They looked each other in the eye, willing the other to break eye contact. Zelda sighed heavily putting out her barely touched cigarette in a nearby ashtray. 

“I'm going to ask one last time. What does a pirate such as yourself do at a party like this one?”

“A-a pirate?”  _ How did she…  _ It was Zelda’s time to put on a self-satisfied smirk. Her eyes twinkled and Lilith’s insides twisted themselves.

“Oh, I know who you are, Lilith Demons,” said Zelda looking her straight in the eye. What was it about the woman’s gaze that made Lilith feel trapped? And how did she know her full name? “You're the captain of the infamous Fair Lady. That ship has been causing troubles all around the Twelve Cities and beyond and I've heard it's been berthed in the harbor for more than a few weeks now.” If Lilith wasn’t an exceptional actress she was sure her jaw would have dropped. But because she was good at feigning indifference, her face remained blank. Her only reaction was raising her eyebrows. “After our meeting, I had Ambrose find out exactly who you are.”

Well, that would have explained why the young soldier looked at her like  _ that _ earlier. It was because he knew. But then why was she still sitting with Zelda on her couch in her private room, and not in jail? Being a pirate was very much a crime punishable by death, so why wasn’t she… No matter, she thought. What’s important is she’s alive and still in trouble, being questioned by the regent. She had to find a way out of this situation. Forget the reconnaissance of the castle; she would find another way to kidnap Sabrina. With Zelda Spellman on high alert and aware of her identity, Lilith’s chances of kidnapping her niece, slim to begin with, dissolved into almost nothing, so there was no reason to risk her life.

She seized Zelda up and down, thinking how best to approach her. What would be the quickest way out of this situation? Her uptight demeanor all but begged for some flirtation. Maybe she should make her a bit flustered? Would that make Zelda shoo her out of her room? Well, there was only one way to find out. She lowered her voice to a purr and batted her eyelashes.

“Been thinking a lot about me since our meeting, have you? I'm flattered.” Zelda’s eyes narrowed.

“I could have you in jail in a second.”

“Kinky,” she wiggled her eyebrows, putting her arm on the back of the couch. Zelda’s face remained blank. She groaned and rolled her eyes. “Oh, go on, crack a smile. If you have to know, your highness, I’m here to just have a look around. It’s not every day a commoner like myself has a chance to see the castle from the inside.”

Technically she wasn’t lying, she was omitting the truth. Something in Zelda’s expression had stirred. Her eyes softened and her lips bent in a smile. Lilith watched in horror as the woman leaned in closer to her, their faces inches away. Her mind stopped working, she held her breath, her heart beating loud as drums in her head. What the hell was going on? 

“I don’t trust you,” purred Zelda, her eyes never leaving Lilith’s. From up close she could see the woman’s eye color. Green. Green like the sea in the twilight.

“You’re not the only one then,” said Lilith, her throat dry.

“I’ll be watching you.”

Zelda moved away abruptly and Lilith blinked at the sudden loss of closeness between them. The other woman was once again sitting on her end of the couch with a pleased expression on her face. Lilith had to force her mind to start working again. What the hell was that?

“I bet,” she croaked out. “Shouldn’t we get back already? Your guests might get the wrong idea…”

Zelda sighed and stood up from the couch. She walked towards the door and Lilith followed, glad this situation was over.

“I don’t particularly care what a bunch of old gossips thinks of me,” said Zelda with her hand on the handle.

“Shall we?” asked Lilith offering her arm with a cocked eyebrow.

*****

Once they were back in the stuffed to the brim with guests ballroom, Zelda let go of Lilith’s arm immediately and disappeared into the crowd without another word. Lilith followed the woman with her gaze. She watched as the woman made her way through the room until she’d reached the little blonde girl.

Well, she thought, now what? She couldn’t slip out of the ballroom again. Not with Zelda Spellman keeping a close eye on her. The most reasonable thing to do would be to leave immediately. To go meet up with James in the harbor, tell him the little information she’s got and to think about a new plan.

A hand landed upon her shoulder and man’s face appeared in front of her startling her. Her own hand immediately reached for the hidden dagger, stopping at the last possible moment when she realized who it was. She took a deep steadying breath.

“There you are, Mary! I was starting to worry.”

“No need,” she dismissed.

“How are you feeling? Better?” His concern was truly touching. She almost felt bad for using him.

“Yes, thank you.”

Over his shoulder, she could see Zelda watching her from afar. At that moment she realized she couldn’t leave. Not just yet. So she stayed glued to Adam’s side for the rest of the night. She played her part, she danced with him, she drank wine, she pretended to have a good time, while also keeping an eye on Zelda.

The queen regent spent her night with her young niece at her side. Talking to her, introducing her to different people. Or at least that’s what it looked like from afar.

It was nearing midnight when Lilith noticed the young girl slipping away from the ballroom after exchanging a few words with her aunt. Well, if the heir to the throne could excuse herself to bed quietly, so could Lilith. She made a half-hearted excuse to Adam and convinced him she was perfectly fine with walking home by herself.

She was eager to meet up with James. To tell him about her failure and to start thinking about a new plan.

Walking along the dark streets she breathed in the crispy air. Savouring the quiet and peace of the sleeping city. The breeze swept her hair, which she let loose the moment she stepped out of the castle. Her dress flowed around her ankles with each step.

It all happened so quickly, the moment she stepped a foot in the harbor. She could already feel the salty air on her face. She could almost see the masts of Fair Lady, her beloved ship.

A group of men, dressed in red and white suits, each with their swords held out in her direction, surrounded her. She felt confused and blindsided; not expecting such a situation, she hadn’t even thought about the dagger she carried around with herself for the whole night. 

“Lilith Demons,” said one man, moving forward to grab her roughly by her arm “you are under arrest.”

“What?” She yanked her arm from the man’s grip only to be grabbed by two more.“What for?”

“Kidnapping of the princess of Syracuse.”


	4. Chapter Four

Lilith’s pacing came to an abrupt halt at the sound of quickly approaching footsteps. She turned toward the sound just in time to see a guard opening the cell’s door for a furious-looking Zelda Spellman, still dressed in the navy-blue gown she wore earlier, carrying something wrapped in a black cloth.

At the sight of the barely contained fury in Zelda’s eyes, Lilith felt irritation rise up in her chest. She should be the angry one here. After all, she was the one locked up in a smelly, tiny, dark cell for something she didn’t do.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them, as they stood there staring at each other, both positively fuming. The two women stared at each other from other sides of the room. Dust dancing between them in the pale moonlight seeping through the bars of a tiny window. It was only the sound of the clanking metal bars as the guard closed the door behind the queen regent that helped Lilith find her voice.

“You know how this works?” asked Lilith through gritted teeth, desperately trying to control her nerves, “First I commit the crime and  _ then  _ you put me in jail.”

Zelda’s face shifted. She stepped closer to Lilith leaving next to no space between them. 

“Do you have any idea how serious this is?” Her voice trembled with suppressed emotions. Her face became redder and redder with each passing second. A popping vein on her neck started to become more visible. Lilith scoffed.

“Do you have any idea how many times I’ve heard that line already?”

She looked with fascination as in a matter of a second all the color drained from Zelda’s face. She could swear that fire rose up behind her eyes. 

“This is not the time for jokes, Lilith!” Lilith took a step back as Zelda’s voice bounced off of the empty walls of her tiny cell. A flood of arousal coursed through her body at the sound of the other woman’s growly, angry voice. Out of the corner of her eye, Lilith saw the guard flinch at the sound of the royalty’s yelling. Zelda seemed to regain control over her temper and lowered her voice. “Where is Sabrina?”

“How am I supposed to know?” She asked incredulously with wide eyes, still in shock. Zelda’s nostrils flared dangerously and for a second Lilith was sure she would yell at her once more, and a tiny part of her, somewhere deep in her subconscious, wanted her to do so.  _ Get a grip _ , she thought to herself. 

“You disappeared right after Sabrina excused herself to bed. And the guards that were found unconscious in front of her door swear they saw you.”

Lilith’s mind made a screeching noise when her inappropriate thoughts came to an abrupt halt. 

“What?” she asked confused. Her unbecoming feelings quickly giving way for irritation. “I  _ left _ right away! The only time I was walking through the castle was when  _ you _ took me to your private chambers.” If looks could kill, she was sure she would drop dead in an instant. Zelda glanced quickly at the guard standing on the other side of the bars with his back to them, and Lilith understood the unintentional double meaning of her own words. A rumor about the royalty having an affair with a pirate was bound to break.

“And how do you explain  _ this _ ?” Asked Zelda lifting her right hand in which she was holding a black piece of cloth wrapped around something. She unfolded the piece of fabric and Lilith saw the shining silver of a blade. A sword.  _ Her _ sword. It had to be her’s, she’d recognize the hilt decorated with a tiny serpent everywhere. Lilith furrowed her eyebrows. Where in the gods’ names did Zelda find her cutlass? As if reading her thoughts the woman said, “It was found right next to one of the guards. I remember you using the same sword the night we met.” 

“That-” Slowly the wheels of her mind started to turn. Her sword. The very same one she used the night she met Zelda… The sword she used to stab-, “Lucifer,” she whispered.

“What?” snapped Zelda. “I’m not particularly in the mood for-”

“I’m serious. He’s framing me!” The words escaped her mouth without her conscious thought but the moment they reverberated from the cold walls of the prison cell she knew they were true. Lucifer was framing her. But the question was why? Why would he frame her for something he asked her to do in the first place? Why would he ask her to kidnap the princess if he was going to do it himself anyway?

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Zelda scoffed, “Why would a god try to frame  _ you _ ?”

_ Why _ indeed. She had no idea. Without noticing, she started to pace around the small room with Zelda’s eyes followed her every move. Her mind was working at an alarming speed, trying to make any sense of the whole situation.

“He wanted me to kidnap the princess-,” she muttered under her breath.

“So you admit it was you!”

“No!” She stopped in her tracks, whipping around to glare at Zelda. She was tired of the queen regent accusing her at every turn. She needed her to understand she was innocent so she could let her go. “He wanted me to do it but I swear I didn’t. The night we met for the first time he came to me and ordered me to kidnap Sabrina.” Zelda opened her mouth to interrupt her again, but Lilith was quicker. She pointed to the cutlass Zelda was still holding in her hand. “He also stole my sword. This sword! He ordered me to bring her to Tartarus. I bet that’s where he took her.”

“Ordered?” Zelda furrowed her eyebrows. “Why would you listen to his orders?”

“I made a deal with him years ago. He did something for me and I was supposed to repay him by kidnapping the young princess.” And that was something she didn’t understand: they had a deal. Why would Lucifer order her to kidnap Sabrina, made it his end of said deal, and then go and do it himself? Why not do it himself from the start then? She could already feel the beginning of a headache slowly building up. She rubbed her hand against her forehead, trying to relieve the pressure. 

“Why would he want Sabrina?” At the sound of a quivering voice, she dropped her hand and looked up at the other woman. Lilith could see tears welling up in the green eyes of the redhead and she felt a slight pang of guilt. The woman was quick to blink away her tears, pulling herself together in less than a second, as if the moment of weakness never happened.

“I don’t know,” she said quietly, stepping closer to Zelda, looking straight into her still slightly wet eyes, willing her to understand her. She reached out to take her hand in hers but stopped at the last moment. “You have to believe me.”

Silence fell upon them, Lilith’s last words hanging in the air between them. Zelda looked at her intently, her face unperceivable once more. 

“As foolish as it may be, I do.”

“You can let me go then.”

“No.” Zelda stepped away from her, wrapping the cutlass in her hand in the black cloth again. She turned around and walked up to the metal bars. The guard looked over his shoulder at Zelda who nodded her head wordlessly. He took out a ring of keys and started to fumble with them, looking for the right one.

“But-” Lilith furrowed her brow.

“This is beyond my power, Lilith! The council has gathered, they’re discussing your execution!”

“What?”

She looked with wide-opened eyes as Zelda waited patiently for the guard to open the door for her. The sound of clanking metal bounced off of the walls once more. The woman was about to exit when she looked over her shoulder, sending her an almost non-existent sad smile.

“There’s little I can do at this point.”


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been 84 years! ... Again.  
> Well, anyway. Enjoy!

The deep inky color of the sky was gradually turning into a light shade of grey. The chilly early morning wind was sweeping her hair around her head as she walked through the slumbering city towards the harbor. The breeze suffused with salt, filled her nostrils when she took deep breaths, savoring the fresh air after being locked up in a dusty cell for the majority of the night.

She tried to ignore the delegation of soldiers trailing behind her like a bunch of lost puppies, but the sounds of their leather boots on cobblestones were echoing loudly through the empty streets, hammering into her brain. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the barrel of a pistol attached to the belt of one of the soldiers, and she wonderedㅡnot for the first time that nightㅡif it was a trap? She shot a discreet look at Ambrose Spellman walking right beside her. His eyes were looking straight ahead but his clenched jaw made it obvious he was aware of her every move. What if his soldiers were about to shoot her the moment she stepped foot in the docks? 

She looked from her own cutlass in Ambrose’s hand to her dagger carried by another soldier. The sense of vulnerability washed over her unpleasantly. Being an unarmed woman out in the streets of Syracuse at night was not something she’d ever like to repeat after that one time years ago, and yet she’s found herself in this exact situation far too often for her comfort recently. It didn’t matter she was escorted by soldiers she didn’t trust anyway. They were not there to protect her, but to make sure she’d get on her clipper.

She thought back to what she’d heard back in the castle. Her sentence was ringing in her ears like a brass bell.

*****

An hour had passed since Zelda Spellman paid her a visit in the dark cell. Lilith was sitting on the dirty stone floor with her back against the wall when her gloomy thoughts were interrupted by approaching footsteps. She looked up and saw Ambrose Spellman standing in front of the bars, his face set into a blank mask. He fumbled with the ring of keys in his hand and after a second opened the door, moving to the side.

“Get out, I don’t have the whole night.” Gone was the boy who winked at her mischievously back at the party in the castle that night. She was faced with a cold and professional royal guard.

“What’s going on?” She stood up, not bothering to brush the dust off of her already ruined dress, and walked over to him. The young man just looked at her with a storm raging behind his eyes.

“The queen regent demands your presence,” he said simply, his voice full of anger. He grabbed her arm and forcefully lead her out of jail. 

Immersed in dark thoughts Lilith wasn’t paying any attention to where Ambrose was taking her. Well, she thought, that would be that. It would seem her adventures were coming to an end for the council would surely call for her immediate execution. She was surprised they even bothered to call her in, to hear the verdict.

Her thoughts moved to her crew; they would find out about her death sooner rather than later. Rumors were something that spreads in Syracuse faster than a plague.

Ambrose stopped, forcing her to come to a halt in the middle of a long hall, illuminated by the candelabras hanging on the walls, in front of the closed big heavy oak door. Two silent soldiers stood in front of it; they nodded at Ambrose who returned the gesture. She expected the door to open and for Ambrose to walk her in, but he just stood there as if waiting for something.

The hallway was immersed in silence, and Lilith could hear muffled angry voices coming from behind the closed doors.

“She can’t possibly believe that woman speaks the truth!”

“It doesn’t matter now, does it?”

“It’s not our place to commentㅡ”

“It very much is our place! We have to think about what’s best for the crown.”

“Once she convinces him to agree with herㅡand we all know she willㅡwe’ll have toㅡ”

Lilith didn’t understand anything of what she heard. She glanced at Ambrose and noticed the boy had his fists and jaw clenched with the force that could probably snap a bone in half. But before she could say anything, she heard the sound of footsteps coming towards them from the other end of the hallway.

Zelda Spellman and Faustus Blackwood came into view from around the corner. They both looked a bit worse for the wear. Zelda’s exhausted but self-satisfied expression caused Lilith’s insides to twist. She could think that their scruffy look was caused solely by the events of the night taking its toll on them, but Zelda’s mussed hair and slightly flushed cheeks, and Blackwood’s wrongly buttoned-up, wrinkly shirt gave Lilith a pretty clear idea of what has happened between the two mere seconds ago.

Beside her, Ambrose shifted uncomfortably in his place, watching his aunt and Lord Blackwood approach them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ambrose open his mouth to say something but Zelda shot him a warning look.

They came closer and Blackwood looked her up from head to toes with a strange sneer on his face. He didn’t stop beside them like Zelda but walked up to the door, opened it and went inside, closing it behind himself.

Zelda let out a heavy sigh. Lilith’s eyes traveled to the woman’s neckline. In the place where the fabric of her gown revealed her collarbone, Lilith could see the blooming bruise. Her eyes snapped up to Zelda’s tired face. 

“Everything is already settled,” said the queen regent looking at her, “The only things left are formalities.”

Lilith wasn’t sure she was following.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“You’re going to go to Tartarus and bring Sabrina back.”

There was a second of silence. She was sure her ears were playing tricks on her. And yet the words echoed around them as if Zelda had screamed them at the top of her lungs.

“What?!” This woman couldn’t be serious. She could not possibly believe Lilith was actually going to do it!

“Auntie,” said Ambrose stepping forward. His face was set into an angry mask, “you can’t possibly believe her. She’s a pirate.”

He spat out the last word with such venom Lilith recoiled slightly. Zelda looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t think it’s your place to judge her for that, Ambrose.” Her cold voice could freeze the entire sea and Lilith couldn’t blame the boy for immediately lowering his gaze. 

Fury bubbled in her chest. She met Zelda’s eye, the wheels in her head turning at a sickening pace. How could the council be so stupid to simply let her go? What did Zelda have to do to make it possible? She was certain she knew the answer to the last question and she wasn’t sure she liked it.

But the longer she thought about the situation, the more she couldn’t believe her own luck. Unless the queen regent wasn’t about to send a whole battalion with her to chaperone her on the silly mission, there was no way she’s going to do it. How could Zelda not foresee it?

Before she could bite her tongue, she asked, “What makes you think I will do it?”

The woman looked at her. Her steely eyes gave Lilith the impression of being able to see right through her.

“Call it a hunch.” And not sparing her another glance she turned to her nephew. “You’re to gather your men and escort her back to her ship.”

*****

The thin line of sunrise could already be spotted on the horizon. They entered the docks and the heavy footsteps of the following her soldiers reverberated dully underneath them. The quiet hum of waves hitting the stone walls of the docks mixed with the screams of the seagulls echoed in the otherwise quiet harbor.

She couldn’t wait to get back on her ship, tell the boys to set a course on the horizon and go to her private room, get rid of that silly dirty frock she had to wear for the whole night and sleep for a couple of hours. She couldn’t wait to be away from this entire situation. The city of Syracuse has never agreed with her, and she was eager to leave it behind as soon as possible.

Her right foot was already on the lowered gangplank leading on the deck of her beautiful clipper, Fair Lady, when she turned over her shoulder to look at the soldiers. Every one of them was watching her intently, ready to attack at the smallest wrong move.

She looked at her own cutlass, still in Ambrose’s grip. She held out her hand expectantly.

“My weapons, if you please.”

Ambrose cocked his eyebrow, but turned to one of his companions and motioned for him to hand over the dagger. Stepping closer to Lilith, he gave her both blades. Relief came upon her the moment she felt the familiar weight of her sword in her right hand. Ambrose watched as she strapped the dagger back to her thigh. 

Out of nowhere, the boy moved into her personal space, standing millimeters away from her. Alarmed, she looked up, ready to use both blades in self-defense. But the boy looked her in the eye with such intensity Lilith stopped in her tracks. She felt his hand on hers and the next thing she knew, he forced the barrel of his pistol in a holster into her left hand.

“Take care of her,” he said with determination and worry on his face. Confusion filled her mind when she looked down at the pistol in her hand. What was  _ that  _ supposed to mean? But when raised her head, the boy was already moving away, motioning to his companions to follow him back to the castle.

She stood there, stunned and confused, looking at the retreating group of soldiers. This night could not possibly get any weirder. Shaking her head a little at the strange behavior of the young man she climbed the lowered gangplank, getting on her ship, at last.

“Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen!” She yelled, startling her crew, lounging on the deck. They all hurriedly jumped to their feet, running to fulfill their captain’s orders.

She looked around, finding her first mate easily enough. James was bending over the railing on the poop deck, studying a map by the weak light of a candle. She moved towards him, making her way around the members of her crew, running around the upper deck. She climbed the steps of the poop deck and stopped right next to him.

James turned his head away from the map and looked at her with concern in his eyes.

“So… How do we get to Tartarus?” She didn’t ask him how did he know about that. Gossips, rumors… She expected half of the sea district to have already heard what had happened in the castle that night, and that she has played the main role in those events.

“Tartarus?!” She exclaimed, faking a surprise. James rolled his eyes. “Oh no, no. I’ve heard it’s a dreadful place this time of the year.”

“Where are we going then?

She didn’t answer straight away. She looked down at the cutlass and the pistol in her hands. A tiny bud of guilt started to bloom in her stomach, but she crushed it before the blossom could change into something bigger. She fastened the belt with holster holding Ambrose’s pistol around her waist. Its weight was unfamiliar to her and a bit uncomfortable. Just like the guilt inside of her.

Lilith looked out on the horizon, putting her cutlass on the railing right next to James’ map. The sky was turning pink and yellow. The night was fading quickly. Soon the harbor will be filled with sailors, ships, and fish vendors. The city will bloom with life. And soon enough there won’t be a single person in the whole Syracuse who won’t know what exactly happened in the castle. The disappearance of the only heir to the throne will become the top topic of gossips for the next few weeks. She needed to get away from all of this.

“Remember how we were talking about Fiji?” She asked not turning away from the sunrise. It felt like a lifetime ago they were sitting comfortably in The Old Hag, planning their next adventure.

“You’re not serious.” There was an amused note in James’ voice. 

“We deserve a vacation,” she shrugged.

“We’re going to Fiji?” A disbelieving voice reached their ears. A young boy with brown hair and too trusting, kind eyes was standing on the main deck looking up at them. Lilith couldn’t help but chuckle. She grew fond of the young boy ever since he and his brother joined the crew a few months earlier. 

“Aye, Kinkle. Now get your ass back to the crow’s nest.” The boy immediately ran away to climb onto the ratlines.

When she couldn’t hold back a yawn she decided it was time she went to her cabin and got a few hours of sleep. She looked at her first mate. 

“James.” She didn’t have to say anything more. He knew exactly what she wanted from him and he started to yell out the orders. The crew started to prepare the ship. She took her cutlass, moved onto the main deck, and then in the direction of her own cabin.

The masts creaked, sails flapped in the wind, the anchor was lifted, and slowly the Fair Lady moved out of the docks, cutting through the waves.

Lilith couldn’t wait to change back into trousers and a shirt and forget about this uncomfortableㅡ

She stopped in her tracks with her hand on the door to her private cabin. She could hear some movement inside; Lilith furrowed her eyebrows. Every member of her crew knew that her room was to be left alone unless there was an emergency. And no one was foolish enough to snoop around while she was not there. Her right hand holding her cutlass gripped the hilt a bit tighter, while the left hand pushed lightly on the door, opening it just a smidge for her to peak in.

Someone was walking slowly around her room. She couldn’t see clearly who it was, she just knew that the person was clearly going through her stuff. The stranger was mumbling something under their breath and Lilith’s heart missed a bit when she recognized the familiar rasp in the voice.

The wheels in her mind started to turn with sickening speed. Her breathing picked up, as she started to wonder what in heaven’s name was Zelda Spellman doing aboard a pirate ship. 

“What a mess,” said the woman, turning around to look at the massive, cluttered, mahogany writing desk in the corner of the cabin. “Let’s see...”

Lilith couldn’t see what Zelda was looking at exactly, but she could only imagine. Her room was full of stolen goods from different places from around Twelve Cities.

“This,” she heard the woman’s voice as she picked up an item from her desk, “is from Malta. And this is from the Caribbean Islands.”

She could see the woman through the slightly ajar door. Lilith was stunned to see Zelda in plain dark trousers, a loose-fitting linen shirt, and leather boots. Her copper hair was no longer braided around her head like a crown, instead, it was down, curling at the ends around the woman’s shoulders.

Lilith pushed the door to open completely and leaned against the doorframe, watching with mirth as the woman in her cabin picked up a particularly sparkly bra covered with sequins. 

“And this,” Zelda’s voice was filled with mild disgust mixed with amusement, “is from the House of Pleasure in Syracuse.”

Lilith decided enough was enough. She needed some answers.

“You must be a frequent guest there, seeing as you’ve guessed that one correctly right away,” she said loudly, entering the room and shutting the door closed behind her. Zelda startled and spun around to look at the newcomer. Lilith had to stop herself from laughing at the alarm on her face. “May I ask what are you doing here?”

Zelda recovered quickly from the shock of Lilith’s sudden appearance. Her eyes narrowed when she looked at Lilith.

“I’m keeping an eye on you,” she said, her voice dripping with determination.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m making sure you’re going to save my niece and bring her back home.”

This time she couldn’t help herself from laughing. The audacity of this woman, honestly. The confident tone of voice, her raised chin, her narrowed eyes. Everything in her stance was daring Lilith to challenge her.

She stepped closer to the woman, throwing her cutlass onto her cot on her way, entering Zelda’s personal space. She watched as the woman tried to move away, but her back collided with the desk behind her.

“And why would I do that?” Lilith asked.

“You owe me this much for making sure the council wouldn’t execute you on sight.”

“Hmm, and I wonder how exactly have you managed such a thing.” She moved her hand to Zelda’s shirt, making the woman freeze. She took the collar between her fingers, and moved it away a bit, revealing the purplish bruise she’s seen earlier. Lilith also noticed a golden chain around the woman’s neck. But before she could investigate further Zelda swatted her hand away, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. Lilith looked with amusement as Zelda adjusted her collar to cover the bruise again.

She shook her head and stepped away from Zelda, giving her space. She moved to her cot and noticed her own shirt and pants waiting for her. Lilith unbuckled the holster with Ambrose’s pistol in it and tossed it on the cot next to her cutlass. Not caring about the presence of the other woman in her cabin, she started to unlace the uncomfortable corset of her dress.

“So what’s your grand plan?” she asked when silence fell upon them. She looked over her shoulder to find Zelda Spellman, red in the face with her eyes wide opened, staring at her. She met her gaze and opened her mouth.

“Iㅡ” But no other sound has left her mouth. The woman seemed to snap back to reality and turned away quickly, avoiding looking at Lilith.

“That’s what I thought,” Lilith chuckled. She got rid of her corset and enjoyed the deep breaths she was now able to take.

“I can throw you back into jail,” she heard Zelda’s voice from behind her. It was fully composed once again. “And this time I’m not so convinced the council will be so merciless.”

“Good luck with that,” she laughed. “We’re already a good distance from the shore so unless you have your own crew on deck, which you don’t, it’s never gonna happen.” Finally, she managed to free herself from her dress and unstrapped the dagger from her thigh, putting it away with the cutlass and the pistol. She picked up the pants and put them on quickly. “One thing I’m curious about, though. If you are here, and the princess’ gone, who’s running the kingdom in your absence?”

“Lord Blackwood is in charge until we get back.”

“But of course,” she said sarcastically, putting her shirt on and tucking it in her pants. 

“I need my niece back. And I am ready to take any measure to achieve this.” There was determination in Zelda’s voice and when Lilith turned around to look at her again she could see the woman’s clenched fists at her side. She was still standing with her back turned on Lilith.

“Clearly,” Lilith couldn’t help the snort that escaped her mouth. She cleared her throat, signaling to the other woman that she could turn again. When Zelda looked at her Lilith noticed the hard look on her face. The look almost tugged at her heartstrings. Almost. “Your love for your niece is admirable but I have no interest in taking part in your little adventure.”

Zelda glared at her with her nostrils flaring dangerously. She regarded her for a second, eyeing her up and down until a self-satisfied smirk slowly crept onto her face. She stepped closer to Lilith, confidence apparent in her every move.

“But you will because luckily, I speak your language. And I know how to convince you.” Lilith furrowed her eyebrows, having no idea what the woman was talking about. But then, Zelda reached for a pouch attached to her belt. She opened it and took out one big shiny gold coin, forcing it into Lilith’s hand. That got her attention; she rarely said no to money and treasures. She examined the coin closely, her mind working fast.

She wasn’t a privateer; she wasn’t a pirate for hire, so to speak. She did not do somebody else’s dirty work for them, but maybe if she could play her cards correctly she could get a good amount of money out of this. And maybe, just maybe, even if they would manage to get to Tartarus, Sabrina wouldn’t be there. After all, there’s a slim chance that Lucifer had nothing to do with it. Or at least that’s what Lilith tried to tell herself.

“Keep talking,” she smirked. Zelda rolled her eyes and unhooked the pouch from her belt. She turned it upside down, raining the gold coins on top of Lilith’s desk. Some of the coins rolled off of the wooden desk and fell to the floor. She looked at the impressive pile of gold. She was sure this little pile could buy her a small island somewhere. “Welcome aboard.”

Zelda’s face lit up with a self-satisfied smile. Her eyes were sparkling, and in the very back of Lilith’s head, she had to admit she looked quite cute. She blinked the thought away quickly.

“Hope you’re alright with sharing because you’ll be staying in my quarters with me.”

The smile disappeared from Zelda’s lips as quickly as it had appeared. 

“What?”

“If you prefer to sleep with the rest of the crew, I’m sure some of the boys will be more than happy to share their berth with you,” Lilith shrugged, watching with mirth as Zelda’s face fell and her eyes widened. She smirked and moved to grab her cutlass from her bed. She put it in its scabbard and fastened the belt around her waist. Lilith made her way towards the door, looking back at Zelda over her shoulder, with a smirk still firmly glued to her lips. “Make yourself at home.”

She opened the door but before she could exit her cabin, a small basset hound jumped on her, barking happily and wagging his tail. Lilith bent down to scratch him behind his ears. 

“There you are, Vinegar Tom! May I introduce our new roommate? This is Zelda, be nice to her, alright?” The dog barked happily once more and straightened up, smiling at him. “Good boy.”

She exited her cabin and stepped onto the main deck again. The morning sun was already visible in the sky, reflecting in the water. The Fair Lady moved away from the shores of the city and entered the open sea.

Once she was away from Zelda she realized she hasn’t asked her the most important question. How it the gods’ name did she manage to get on her ship. Although she got an answer to that particular question the moment she looked around the main deck. Every member of her crew was counting a small pile of coins in their hands.

“You lot would sell your own mothers if you’d seen any gain in it,” she said under her breath. James, who was leaning on the railing right next to her was the only one who heard her.

“Are you interested in buying?” He chuckled. She rolled her eyes at him, but couldn’t help a smile. “So, where to, captain?”

Lilith looked out on the horizon, lost in thoughts. She remembered vividly her last encounter with Lucifer. What was she thinking, agreeing to help Zelda! Well… There was no use of crying over spilled milk anymore.

“He said the morning star beyond the horizon will guide us…”

“Tartarus?” asked James.

“Tartarus.”


	6. Chapter Six

After more than twenty-four hours of being awake, it was fair to say, she was exhausted. She was laying on her side in her cot, facing the wall of her cabin. The familiar rocking of the ship and the sound of the splashing of the waves would usually lull her to sleep in no time. But not that night. Another annoyed sigh and the sound of a body rolling around on the hard wooden floor reached her ears. For the third in the span of five minutes.

She managed to forget that the woman was on the ship. Throughout the day there was just too much to do, for Lilith to think about her. Unable to take a nap after the exhausting events of the previous night, Lilith didn’t need to go into her private cabin during the day. And so, with Zelda not showing up on the main deck either, Lilith forgot of her presence on the ship. It wasn’t until late evening when the sky was already dark and the stars were shining bright, and she saw James walking into her cabin with a bowl of stew, that she remembered.

In hindsight, making Zelda sleep on the floor wasn’t probably the best idea she’s ever had. But truth be told, there weren’t many options. Lilith was not going to give away her own bed. And as much as she’d love to, she wouldn’t let the woman sleep with the rest of the crew either. While she trusted most of them, she couldn’t be completely certain there weren’t any more men like Hawthorn on her ship. Men, who would be able to take any kind of advantage of a woman. The image of Hawthorn bothering Zelda in the Old Hag was still vivid in Lilith’s mind.

But since Zelda was so insistent on staying on the ship, Lilith had no other option than to let the woman sleep on the floor, in a tangle of blankets. But as it turned out, that wasn’t the smartest move, for now, she was forced to listen to the tossing, and turning, and heavy sighing coming from the other side of the room every few minutes. She was irritated, to say the least.

Another annoyed murmur has reached her ears and Lilith couldn’t take it any longer. She bolted upwards, throwing her covers to the side and glaring at the dark bundle of blankets on the floor. Without a word she stood up and stormed out of the cabin. She has had enough. She was determined to get a good night’s rest, so with sand under her eyelids and her limbs heavy with the lack of sleep, she made her way below the deck, into the crew’s compartment.

The sound of heavy breaths and snores filled her ears as she walked quietly between the berths. The light was dim, with only a few candles burning here and there, casting long shadows on every corner but she knew her own ship well enough not the run into anything. She passed the hammocks hanging here and there, with legs and hands dangling out of them. Avoiding the creaking floorboards, as to not alarm any member of her crew, she reached the far wall and found what she was looking for immediately.

“What-”

She walked back into the room. Zelda sat up on the floor, and even though Lilith couldn’t see her face in the dark clearly, she was sure the woman was looking at her with confusion. 

“Get up,” she snapped, not letting Zelda finish her question. She dropped the bundle of material she was carrying onto the floor and moved to light two candles standing on her writing desk, so she’d be able to see what she was doing.

Under the layer of annoyance and irritation, a thought appeared in Lilith’s head. Out of the corner of her eye, she could still see Zelda, standing awkwardly to the side. Dark circles under her eyes. Hair mussed and tangled, her nightgown wrinkled. Her bare arms covered in goosebumps. She looked much different from the queen regent Lilith had seen the previous night at the castle. And she looked different from the governess she had seen at the Old Hag weeks ago. At the castle and at the tavern, she looked confident, cold, and distant. Now, standing barefoot next to Lilith’s bed, she looked small and lost.  _ Adorable. _

She chased the thought away; tiredness was turning her into a sap. Instead of dwelling on her unwanted warm feelings, she focused on what she was doing. She tied the knots with expertise, checked if they were secure and satisfied with her work, she moved to pick up Zelda’s blankets and pillow from the floor, and threw them on the hammock that was now hanging beside the wall.

“There you go,” she said, turning around to glare at Zelda. “Try not to make too much noise again.”

Not sparing another glance at Zelda, she threw herself onto her cot, feeling the heaviness of her own limbs once again. She heard quiet footsteps, a sound of blowing out the candles, more footsteps, a few rustles, and then… Blissful silence. She sighed with relief and got herself into a more comfortable position, covering her body with her own blanket in the process.

The soft hum of the waves splashing on the sides of the ship filled the room. She could feel her consciousness slipping into the land of Morpheus. The rocking of the room started to lull her to sleep. The last thing she remembered until her exhausted mind finally gave in was a grateful raspy whisper in the dark.

*****

She was running through the streets, thunder rolling over her head. The first drops of rain hit the ground with a soft patting sound. She had no idea what she was running from but she was certain she needed to get away from it as quickly as possible.

Slipping on the wet cobblestones, her dress tangling in between her legs, her own heartbeat hammering in her ears, she ran through the familiar empty streets of the city. Wind sweeping her hair around her head made it difficult for her to see where she was going. A bolt of lightning flashed in the sky above her head, illuminating her surroundings. A deafening crash of thunder split the silence of the night. Startled, she tripped over the hem of her dress and landed on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her own lungs. Ignoring the sharp pain in her bones, she rolled onto her back and looked up, blinking the droplets of rain away from her eyes.

A tall man, dressed in a smart suit, was standing over her with a menacing smile.  _ Adam.  _ Her heart missed a beat as he crouched next to her and reached out to grip her chin. His fingers dug into her skin painfully. She couldn’t look away, too scared, not wanting to miss any of his movements.

A drop of rain got into her eye and she blinked instinctively to get rid of it, but when she opened her eyes again, the man in front of her has changed. She was no longer looking into Adam’s brown eyes but rather cold grey ones of Lucifer. He was laughing at her. His voice ringing in her ears.

“Time to pay your debt,” he said, baring his teeth in a dangerous smile.

“I already did,” she heard herself say breathlessly, “You’ve got Sabrina, haven’t you?”

“But it wasn’t you who delivered her.”

She felt the ground underneath her melting and she started to fall. She was falling through time and space with Lucifer’s voice echoing in her head. Her stomach twisted and turned unpleasantly. His laugh rolled around her in the void like thunder.

She was reaching, desperately trying to grab something that would stop her from falling, but there was nothing around her. Just empty space and darkness. 

“Don’t you remember our deal?” she heard Lucifer say. “I give you a new life, away from the man who hurt you, and in return, when I call upon you, you follow my order, no matter what it would be. Someone else gave me Sabrina. So you see, dear Lilith, your end of the deal still stands.”

Her eyes snapped open. The weak light of early morning was seeping into the cabin through the portholes. She was laying on her stomach in her cot, tangled up in the blanket, the voice of the god of Chaos still ringing in her ears, making her feel sick.

She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. Even after a full night of sleep, she still felt tired. The dream did little to help her get any rest, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, even if she tried. Her mind was working at a full speed. 

What if it was true? What if Lucifer could still call upon her?

Not being able to stand to lay down any longer she stood up and looked towards the hammock on the other side of the room. Zelda was still fast asleep, her deep rhythmic breaths filling up the cabin. Lilith could see her face scrunched in a frown as if she was dreaming of something.

She dressed quickly, took her cutlass, knife, and Ambrose’s pistol, and exited the cabin into the cool air of the morning. The sharp sting of the salty wind on her skin was enough to wake her up completely and clear her head at least a little bit. The sound of seagulls’ screams mixed with flapping sounds of the sails, filling her ears.

A few people were busying around the main deck, securing the ropes, and making sure the sails were set. She made her way onto the sterncastle deck where Putnam was holding the steering wheel.

“Go get some sleep,” she said to him.

He nodded at her. Lilith watched him go and looked at the main deck from above. She saw Tommy Kinkle getting down from the crow’s nest. The young man looked almost as tired as she felt. He disappeared under the deck and a few minutes later Harvey emerged, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. Yawning, he climbed into the crow’s nest, taking his brother’s place.

The younger boy was a newbie. His father dragged him one day onto the ship, putting him to work. Lilith had nothing against that, but noticing the way the boy flinched away from his father’s touch, noticing how Tommy always seemed to be standing in between them, shielding his younger brother, she had made sure to give Harvey a job that would require him to stay away from his father. She looked around but when couldn’t see the oldest Kinkle amongst the crew members present on the deck, she sighed with relief, not in the mood for listening to their family feud.

Lilith took a hold of the steering wheel, relishing in the familiar feel of the wood under her palms. She was hoping to get her mind off of the memory of her dream, but sadly the task of steering the ship was rooted in her instincts so deeply, she didn’t need to think about it much. And that left her mind free to roam.

Her thoughts turned to what Lucifer had said in her dream. Deep down she knew what he had said was true. She wasn’t the one who has delivered Sabrina to him. Someone else did that in her stead. Still, the question remained, who. And if her end of the deal still wasn’t fulfilled… Could he still ask her to do something for him at any given time?

Suddenly there was too little oxygen to go around. The salty air filling her nostrils, usually so comforting, now felt suffocating. She couldn’t breathe and she felt trapped in her own skin. The idea of the possibility of being somebody’s servant wasn’t sitting well with her, making her stomach twist.

She cursed herself for ever making any deal with Lucifer in the past. Why was she so stupid to accept help from a stranger?

Adam’s face flashed before her eyes and she closed them to get rid of the sight of his smile from her mind. Yes, she knew exactly why she was so desperate on that faithful night for a different life.

She still remembered, as if it was yesterday, the day everything has changed. She remembered the nice dress she was wearing. She remembered the look on her father’s face when he announced that she was to marry Adam by the end of the month. She remembered her breath catching in her throat and the walls of the room closing in on her when she looked at the man she’s been avoiding since that one night at her father’s banquet. She remembered his disgusting smile, as it was still haunting her dreams from time to time, even after all these years. She remembered running out of the house into the night, tears pooling in her eyes, panic gripping her heart.

And she also remembered stumbling to the ground, bruising her knees, and tearing her dress. The strong hand being held out to help her up. His kind eyes and a soft smile when he had pulled her up from the ground. His voice luring her into his treacherous clutches. She had known straight away there wasn’t anything human about him. And yet, for some reason, she had trusted him.

Back then it seemed like a perfect escape plan. He offered her exactly what she needed. A way to get away from her father, away from the man who hurt her. And after all, he wasn’t asking for much in return. What was one simple favor for a new life? Nothing. 

And so she had signed her name with her own blood, and she found herself in the harbor. She had no idea why exactly that particular place, but it had turned out to be the right one for her. An old sailor had found her and offered her a place on his ship. Over time he became more of a father to her than her own father has been.

And soon enough she forgot all about her deal with Lucifer. She enjoyed her life as a pirate, as if her life of a governess, her brief and unwanted engagement to Adam, has never happened.

But now, when the threat of still being tied to Lucifer and his contract was hanging over her head, more noticeable than ever, she couldn’t help but go back in time to her previous life.

The sound of metal hitting metal pulled her out of her gloomy thoughts and she was surprised to notice that the sun was already high in the sky. She looked around in search of the sound and saw James and Zelda on the main deck, swords in hands, pointing them at each other. At some point, when she was lost in her own memories, the woman had ventured out onto the deck. And somehow ㅡ Lilith had no clue as to how did that happen ㅡ she was now learning from James how to wield a sword.

Zelda was yet again dressed in a shirt and pants, but she had braided her hair that day and Lilith couldn’t help but stare at her slender neck and the alabaster skin.

Lilith frowned, observing the two of them. She wasn’t the only one ㅡ most of the members of the crew were eyeing them with amusement, sniggering at the stiff way Zelda was holding her cutlass.

“You have to be aware of your surroundings,” she could hear James, pointing at the railing behind Zelda’s back, showing her that she was trapped. “You should think of the cutlass as if it was your arm, savy?”

Lilith scoffed watching their lesson, listening to her first mate as he tried to show the woman how to properly hold her weapon. She could see James was not doing a good job because Zelda was watching him as if the man was speaking gibberish.

Not being able to watch the disaster unfold any longer she looked around and her eyes landed on the person closest to her, which happened to be Theo. She instructed the boy to take the wheel and she walked onto the main deck, where Zelda and James were still struggling to understand each other.

“Alright, that’s enough, Minion,” she said to James, putting her hand on his shoulder. He lifted his eyebrow and smirked at the familiar term which she hadn’t used in a while on him. “I’ll take it from here.”

Zelda narrowed her eyes when Lilith took James’ place and gripped her sword tighter.

“You’re too stiff,” said Lilith moving closer to the woman. She drew her own cutlass and showed it to Zelda. “James was right. You should think of the cutlass as of the extension of your own arm. Let it be a part of your body.”

Zelda loosened her grip and rolled her shoulders, trying to relax.

“Good,” Lilith smiled. She watched with fascination as the tiniest of smiles tugged at Zelda’s mouth. “I think you’re ready for a real fight.”

The smile immediately disappeared from the woman’s face.

“What?” She asked, a shadow of fear showing in her eyes. “I don’t think ㅡ ”

“How else do you want to learn how to fight?”

“I don’t ㅡ I wasn’t the one who proposed the sword fighting lesson.”

Her eyes traveled to James, who was standing nearby, leaning on the railing and watching the two of them with amusement. Lilith lifted her eyebrow questioningly at him, but the man only shrugged.

“If she’s to stay on the ship, she better know how to defend herself.”

She hated to admit that he had a point. A person that didn’t know how to fight would quickly turn into an easy prey and a liability to the rest of the crew. Lilith couldn’t be sure that they would not run into some unfriendly ships on their way to Tartarus. It would be better if Zelda knew how to ㅡ t least ㅡ defend herself.

“James is right,” Lilith said looking at her. “Now, are you ready?”

But she didn’t wait for Zelda to answer. In real life, no opponent would ever wait for the woman to ready herself for a fight. She struck from above, forcing Zelda to lift her own sword to block her. The momentum of her move bounced off of the metal and Lilith was forced to take a step backward.

“Good,” she said again, watching Zelda move away from her, never taking her eyes off of Lilith’s sword. “Now, don’t run, try to attack.”

Lilith could see Zelda’s wide eyes as the woman advanced on her a bit uncertainly. She saw exactly was Zelda was about to do and moved to the side, avoiding the blade. The woman stumbled forward, missing her target completely and falling to her knees.

Lilith heard a few unpleasant sniggers from the side. Her head snapped in that direction and she glared at the members of her crew who immediately avoided her eyes. Every one of them was a newbie at some point, and these men should remember the time they couldn’t hold a sword properly to save their lives.

She looked back at Zelda and her heart missed a beat. She moved out of the way at the last moment, avoiding the blade by a smidge. Adrenaline and anger took hold of her. She turned once again to face the woman. She lifted her sword and in two swift moves, she found herself chest to chest with Zelda. Gripping the woman’s hand which was holding the sword away from their bodies, and pressing her own blade to Zelda’s neck. Not hard enough to pierce the skin, but with just enough pressure for her message to be clear.

“Good job,” she panted, her voice dangerously low, her face mere millimeters away from Zelda’s, “but don’t ever attack me like that when I’m not looking.”

She could feel Zelda’s breath on her face, her chest rising and falling against her own.

“I thought you told me to attack you,” she cocked her eyebrow and Lilith couldn’t help but smirk.

But before she could answer, the whole ship rocked dangerously as if something big had hit it with enormous force. She lost her balance and let go of Zelda’s hand, at the last moment ㅡpurely out of instinctㅡ moving her sword away from the woman’s neck to avoid hurting her. She stumbled forward, her body slamming into Zelda’s, making them both fall onto the floorboards, one on top of the other. She gasped when she felt a sharp pain in her side as the blade of Zelda’s sword grazed her skin. 


End file.
